(ASK) Diving Deeper

[Vexillar]

It occurred to him that Prazutis required more training. He had hoped that maybe the boy would pick up a tome or twelve and teach himself, but that wasn't the case. He wasn't upset about that of course. But it would have been nice. Still only one thing to be done about that...

As usual, Eezeo was sent to wake the sleeping Acolyte. The spider droid instructed Prazutis to report to the tomb of Exar Kun. It would serve well enough for tonight's lesson. Raith stood at the entrance to the temple, awaiting his apprentice.

How did he feel about all this? Responsible. Perhaps if Prazutis had known more from the start this could have been avoided, but then he wouldn't have known his true name. As most things were this was a double edged sword. Nothing could be done about it now, but he could at least prepare Prazutis for the future to come. Spirits were not the worst things Prazutis would face in the coming years, but they could give the other things a run for their money. At least the right spirit could be easily managed.

 

[Prazutis]

"What do you want Eezeo?"

Praz murmured, barely looking up from his book. Oddly enough, he wasn't sleeping, despite his love of the activity. Ever since his traumatic experience with the ghost Erchitu, Praz had been motivated to continue his studies in the language of the Sith. He figured if ghosts were prevalent on Korriban, the ancient ones would have knowledge on how to combat the influence of the spirits. It didn't hurt that he was improving his abilities to converse in the ancient language however.

"Liepti Viole... Raith, nu valia buti antai veek"
("Tell Viole I will be there soon")
Praz spoke in heavily accented Sith, overcompensating for his still basic understanding of the conventions of the language. Praz still didn't really know what to call his Master. The name change was confusing for him.

He tried to simply ignore the droid. Until Eezeo came and swiped the tome from out of his hands, and ran off down the hall.

"Very Funny, Eezeo"

___________

Praz chased Eezeo out the academy and followed him to a nearby tomb. At the entrance, he saw Viole standing still. Solemn and stoic. Praz stopped running as soon as he looked up, noticing the tomb. He walked slowly up to Viole/Raith.

"If you want me to talk to more spirits, the answer is no, Viole... Raith... Damn it"

 

[Vexillar]

The Arcanist chuckled at his flustered Apprentice.

"Viole is fine, dearest Prazutis. It is what you know me by after all. No sense in changing that. Right? However you don't have a choice in today's lesson. The battle with Erchitu showed me two things. One, you are gravely unprepared for all the Force has to offer. And two; you're arsenal is pitifully small. That, however, is my fault. Not yours, so do not think I am blaming you. Now come."

He held out his hand and called the book that Eezeo held to him. Arching a brow while scanning it's contents he chuckled. Oh the things he could teach Prazutis, but it was good that the boy was learning a new language. The Force made people lazy, so he was happy that his Apprentice chose the hard way as oppose to the lazy way. No...not happy, proud.

As they entered the tomb, he spoke again. "Now you should know spirits are as fickle as living beings. They are scars on the Force, however, people who refuse to pass on for one reason or another. Not all of them are evil, however, even ancient Sith Spirits can be forces of knowledge and good. The worry not, however, as spirits are merely a side subject of today's lesson. The spirits on Korriban are notoriously few and far between, and the ones that do still linger don't show often. Usually only when upstart children reach beyond their station. Which you have the blessing of knowledge to avoid."

He silenced himself for a moment as he lazily pointed to a fallen Acolyte. A nameless child who Raith had discovered a week ago, toying with forces he had no business delving into. So of course he was put down. Before any real damage could be done. The Arcanist eventually came to what seemed to be a dead end, but he pressed a stone in the wall and a chamber opened up. He stepped inside and motioned for Prazutis to follow. The room was not terribly large and it didn't have much in it. Just a few faded writings on the wall, a table with some primative tools, and a couple vials of liquids.

"Now. Tell me, Prazutis. What are your goals? What do you want to be within the Imperium's Sith?" He turned to lean against the table and tossed the reading manual back at Prazutis.

 

[Prazutis]

To say Praz was on edge would be an understatement. Thanks to his extremely negative experience a few weeks back in a tomb. Thanks to that as well, Praz had developed a fear of spirits. His eyes were darting from wall to wall. The only thing that was keeping him from loosing himself in his paranoia was the voice of his Master. Raith had a calming effect on him. And since he had saved Prazutis from the clutches of the ghost, Raith had regained Praz's trust since the... Telos incident.

Praz was focusing solely on Viole's voice... which led him to hear everything he was saying. His arsenal was small?! How dare he... damn, he was right. Praz barely knew how to use a saber, and his tactics were mostly delegated to sneaking up behind people and knocking them out. Or shooting them with his blaster.

Praz ignored the dead body as best he could as they walked by.

Praz followed Raith/Viole into the secret room, taking a second to pause in awe. Praz was obtaining more of an academic point of view, and took a minute to examine the door and just how the doorway could be constructed. Then followed behind his Master. He looked into the room, examining the tools on the table in front of him. The entire room looked very... ritualistic. What did Viole have planned? He was so preoccupied by the room that he almost didn't hear Raith's question.

"My goals? Well, you know my goals... I want to kill every slaver in existance. And end slavery... I want to help the Empire put an end to the damn Hutt Cartel and their kriffing slave trafficking... As for the Sith... I haven't thought about it much... I want to continue to study. The Sith Language is quite interesting. And... I don't really know, Raith"

 

[Vexillar]

He could feel Prazutis' hesitation, and truly he didn't like putting him in uncomfortable situations. But Raith didn't believe in mercy or sugar coated white lies. Nox did not train him to believe in such things, and he would not give Prazutis any different treatment. They were to go down into this cave so that Prazutis may face his concerns and fears. And until Prazutis came to terms with it, this is where the rest of their training would occur; in tombs. Raith would be with him every step, however, so his Apprentice would not face these trials alone.

At the response to the question he chuckled and smiled at the boy. "Think, my Apprentice. Do you wish to follow the way of the blade? Charging fearlessly into battle to drown your enemies in superior saber techniques? Or perhaps the way of shadows is more appealing? Slipping in and out of areas, sending your targets to an eternal slumber before anyone knows you were there. Or the way of the Force, mayhaps? To study the abyss and make it your home, to defy insanity with an endless stream of questions and bathe the battle field in lightning." He conjured up mental images of each scenario, Prazutis; the Warrior, the Assassin, the Sorcerer. These various images he projected into Prazutis' mind. "Your personal goals can all be attained through these paths. You will find your power grow and your plans see light. But how you get there. That will define the course of our lessons from here on out." He idly toyed with one of the ancient knives on the table, running it over his finger gently.

While Prazutis' choice would not effect what he learned, it would effect how Raith presented the information and how Prazutis would learn the skills presented. He didn't think he could be an effective teacher by catering to only how he learned. This was not a normal Acolyte. This was his Apprentice. Someone who trusted him to be a supplier of knowledge and power. And that's what Raith would be, because he believed Prazutis could handle such gifts.

But first Prazutis had to decide on a future.

 

[Prazutis]

As the young boy inspected the room, apparitions began to appear in front of him. He thought it was more ghosts, and he began to panic for but a moment. But it felt familiar. He recognized this as Viole's handiwork, after... a few seconds of some rather embarrassing sentiments. His gaze shifted to the the corner of the room, which he noticed housed a rather large, primitive blade. Around the blade, light-saber hilts began to emerge. Suits of armor formed, and terrifying visages of Sith Warriors appeared... Well, terrifying to the uninitiated. Praz was used to seeing them around the Academy conducting training sessions. "Think, my Apprentice. Do you wish to follow the way of the blade? Charging fearlessly into battle to drown your enemies in superior saber techniques?"

He then felt his gaze drawn to the table. Many primitive tools sat there, as well as vials of a strange liquid. Difficult to tell the colour in the low light. It seemed to be a shade of red. Or perhaps green. The tools seemed to resemble knives more then anything else. Similar to the knife he'd use back on Tatooine. Apparitions of shadowy figures appeared. Dancing between the shadows. "Or perhaps the way of shadows is more appealing? Slipping in and out of areas, sending your targets to an eternal slumber before anyone knows you were there."

Finally he looked to the ancient inscriptions on the wall. They were written in the Sith Language. Prazutis could decipher only a little of the inscription. "Gather here we do... the name of..." The wall was faded and largely indecipherable, but that did not make a difference. Apparitions of many different books began to appear. Lighting shot around his peripheral vision. "Or the way of the Force, mayhaps? To study the abyss and make it your home, to defy insanity with an endless stream of questions and bathe the battle field in lightning"

Praz barely needed to think

"The Way of the Shadows... I've spent my whole life living in the shadows... No point in stopping now"

 

[Vexillar]

The answer wasn't surprising. Prazutis would make a fine assassin. He pursed his lips and nodded slowly.

"Very well then, my assassin, then learn this lesson and learn it well. Secrecy is a weapon you must never lose. Lies are your friend and your ally, but you must learn to use them properly. A blade in the dark is worth a thousand sabers in the day, and a whisper can be more powerful than a shout. Learn to use your wit first and your blade second. Do you know why it is I spread myself thin training Acolytes day in and out? Because for every life I touch, it's another person who feels they owe me. As an assassin, Prazutis, you must be prepared to throw all life away. See tools, not people, information and opportunity, not sentience."

He silenced himself as the sound of claws on the floor was heard. He rolled his neck to the side, looking at the wall, but Prazutis would know it was more than that. Raith saw through the wall, as he saw through most things, and smiled as his pet was returning.

Vallo was a fickle thing. Quick to anger, and eager to be left alone. But Raith had begun to understand the beast and the beast began to understand him. Though it still preferred space to closeness...unless he wanted attention.

The creature walked into the room and growled at Prazutis. It hadn't met the boy before, but after a few sniffed he picked up the scent of Raith. Faint, but there. He wouldn't eat the boy...for now. Instead he dropped a few bones at Raith's feet and the Arcanist bowed his head to the creature. The Tuk'ata took up residence in a corner content to curl up and watch the two of them.

"The tools of an assassin are many, but the shadows will always be your lover and your friend, and your ally. But before we can continue, show me the skill of my people. Your eyes, you must forsake them. From darkness, watch your enemies and your allies. But not with your eyes. The bones, Prazutis, they are the remains of a Sensitive. Tell me. Who did they serve? Ashla or Bogan, the Light Side or Dark?"

It was a trick question, however. The remains were a gentle gray, the sign of someone who served neither side. But he wished to see Prazutis use the power, to embrace his Sight. The more Prazutis could see, the stronger he'd become in the future.

 

[Prazutis]

Assassin? Was that the "way of the shadows"? Well... it sounded quite interesting. The word assassin conveyed with it a certain amount of power. A certain amount of fear. He himself had made a few assassinations in his day. Nothing formal and certainly nothing Viole would know about. Mostly just slavers that ended up... disappearing.

Well, if being an assassin entailed what Viole was talking about, it sounded good. So that's why he hadn't seen Viole in a few days time. Building a power base was important, he understood. And this was a good way to do that.

Suddenly he heard the clicking of claws from an adjacent. Praz used the force to draw two of the primitive daggers into his hands, and prepared to defend himself. As the beast rounded the corner, Praz couldn't help but gasp. It was a Tuk'ata and it was huge! He had read all about them, but... this was an entirely new frontier. It had
bones in it's mouth. Probably a fresh kill. Praz readied himself for combat. He was trying to think of how he could fight the beast without his blaster.

Then subsequently dropped his jaw.

The beast went over to Viole, dropped the bones at his feet almost subserviently, and then went into a distant corner. Did he... tame a Tuk'ata? Hearing Viole clear his throat snapped Praz back to reality. He took heed of Viole's instruction.

"You're gonna have to tell me about your new doggy over there." Praz said with a chuckle. The beast proceeded to snap its jaws at Praz, which quickly shut him up. He closed his eyes, attempting to utilize force sight, as Viole had taught him months ago. He closed his eyes, attempting to sense what the sensitive had been... But got nothing. Or so he thought. He did not sense anything shifting to any side of the force. Simply... nothing. Nothing menevolent, nothing benevolent.

"I don't sense anything. What I mean is... They don't seem to lean to any side in particular... Or maybe I just don't see anything". Then, something dawned on him. "Viole. When you look at me... what do you see? You see with the Force, so what do I look like to you?"

 

[Vexillar]

Indeed, Vallo snapped a bit. He didn't like being called a dog. Best as Raith could tell, he saw it as an insult. Curious, but whatever keeps the Tuk'ata happy.

He watched as Prazutis studied the bones gently. He had been born with this gift. His kind didn't blink, they didn't struggle to see, they had this uncanny knack for seeing what the Universe sees. And because of it, sometimes they were hunted. Sometimes they were begged to pick a side in a conflict. The Force ran deep with his people, and it was the kind of connection people wanted to exploit. It was something that Raith couldn't tolerate. He couldn't handle. He wouldn't handle it. His people were his. End of story.

Shaking the thought from his head he looked back at Prazutis and felt a pang in his heart. Was what he was doing right? He told himself he made these choices for the betterment of all, but how would it impact Prazutis? The kid was talented. He was incredibly gifted. If Raith was exposed and had to leave...it could spell certain destruction for the boy before him. The kindness and innocents in his heart would be corrupted by rage and hate, and Raith's words wouldn't be there to soothe him. No...instead Bogan would be.

And that terrified Raith.

When Prazutis spoke up it shocked him back to reality. "Good. Well done, Prazutis. Keep using the ability. We must strengthen it. The more you use it, the easier it will be to summon and the longer you'll be able to use it. Now then. As mentioned you will sometimes deal with spirits, however where there is a spirit there is a way to quell them. Before we can even get into that, however, you must become properly armed. Which means your mind."

The Arcanist walked over to the table and mixed some of the ingredients together. He poured them into a small vial and handed it to Prazutis. "Drink. It's s hallucinogen. If you can brave this and survive, you'll be ready to take your training to the next level. You will be rendered paralyzed for the duration of the potions effect, but you'll face your worst fears. I will be here next to you the entire time. You'll be safe. If you fail, we will simply try again. This is the quickest way to understand yourself, your limits, and your mind."

 

[Prazutis]

Praz sort of hated how giddy it made him feel when Raith praised him. But as it stood, he couldn't help it. His relationship with his Master was complex. Distrust had often wracked the bond between the two and they had been through much together. He was trying to be more trusting. After all, he did save him from a kriffing ghost attack. However, the psychological torture he had endure at Raith's hands on Telos had been... grave. Praz's trust was like a rare delicacy. Take a bite, and you've ruined the beauty. Though Raith had tried to right his wrong, it still affected Praz quite a bit.

So, when Viole brought up the hallucinogen, Praz froze immediately.

"No way. Nope. Uh uh. You expect me to voluntarily taken a hallucinogen and fight some kriffing ghost. Thats cute. I'm not going to just blindly obey you like your doggy over there". That comment was followed by a growl and a snap from the Tuk'ata. Praz simply tossed a bone over to him, and kept talking to Viole

"I'm not going to blindly walk into some kriffing Hullucination."